Box Score MEDFORD – Behind a career-high 35 points and nine rebounds from senior Eric Savage the No. 22 Tufts men's basketball team picked up an 85-73 win over visiting Bowdoin on Friday night in Cousens Gym.
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| Junior Will Brady helped with ten points in the win |
With the win the Jumbos improve to 15-4 overall and 5-0 in NESCAC play. Bowdoin falls to 6-12 this year and 1-5 in conference play.
The first half of the first half was a back and forth affair and the game was tied eight different times. With the game locked at 23 with 9:18 on the clock the Jumbos got a three from junior Brennan Morris. About a minute and a half later junior Luke Roger put the Jumbos ahead five with a layup. After a couple of Polar Bear free throws, Savage made a pair from the line to bring the lead back to five, and then a three from sophomore Tyler Aronson with 6:15 left in the half put the Jumbos ahead eight, 33-25.
The Polar Bears got to work and cut that lead to five with a three from David Reynolds with 4:36 to go. Sam Grad added a three on their next possession to cut the lead to two, and then a layup from Grad tied things at 33 with 2:42 left. Rogers made a layup, but the Polar Bears took a one-point lead with a three from Grad. Savage made a layup with 1:09 left to put the Jumbos back on top, 37-36, and that's the way the first half would end.
The two teams traded baskets to open the second half and with the score locked at 41 about three minutes into play the visitors got a layup from Stephen Ferraro. They followed that with a jumper from Reynolds to take a four-point lead about five minutes into the second half. After a Jumbo jumper, the Polar Bears increased their lead to five with a three from Manav Randhawa.
Freshman Dylan Thoerner started a 13-point unanswered streak for the Jumbos with a free throw, and then Savage cut the lead to one with a three. Savage then drained two more threes on the Jumbos next two possessions to put the Jumbos ahead five. Thoerner added a three of his own to give Tufts an eight-point advantage about halfway through the second half.
Down by ten with just under nine minutes to go the Polar Bears clawed away at that lead. Randhawa started it with a free throw and then Ferraro made a layup to bring the Polar Bears within seven. Grad added a layup to cut the lead to five. After a jumper from Savage for the Jumbos, Reynolds brought the Polar Bears within four with a three. Two free throws from Taiga Kagitomi cut the Jumbo lead to two, 63-61, with 5:30 to go.
After baskets by both teams, Thoerner sunk another three to increase the Jumbo lead to five. Ferraro made two free throws for the Polar Bears, but Savage moved the lead back to five again with a jumper and then pushed the lead to eight with another three. Aronson made two free throws to increase the Jumbo lead to ten, 75-65, with 1:51 to go. The Jumbos held on for the 85-73 win.
Savage led all scorers with 35 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 from downtown, and he added eight rebounds and a couple of assists to his night. Aronson helped with 15 points and five rebounds and Thoerner added 11 points, three rebounds and four assists. Junior Will Brady tallied ten points and classmate Luke Rogers finished with nine points and eight rebounds.
Bowdoin had six different players with double-digit points. Grad led the way with 15 points and four rebounds. Reynolds added 13 points and 12 rebounds. Kagitomi finished with 13 points as well. Randhawa turned in 12 points. Ferraro tallied ten points and six assists and Xander Werkman helped with ten points and four boards.
The Jumbos are back in action on Saturday when they host No. 5 Colby for a 3 pm start. Bowdoin travels to Bates on Saturday with a 3 pm tip-off.
